Struggling Delco parishes play waiting game as archdiocese looks to consolidate

Twelve Roman Catholic parishes in Delaware County are currently in the process of reviewing their sustainability as part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's ongoing Parish Area Pastoral Planning Initiative that will determine if they close, remain open or merge with surrounding parishes.

o At St. Alice in Upper Darby, taking action to save parish.

"There's nothing going on right now where closures or mergers are expected in the immediate future," said archdiocesan spokesman Kenneth Gavin.

He estimated that any decisions, ultimately made by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput, would probably be made by early spring of 2013. The announcement of the initial mergers of parishes in Philadelphia and Chester counties as a result of the initiative was made last April 15.

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"What the landscape looks like now, we can't speculate," said Gavin.

The initiative, that will require all pastors and their parish council members in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to eventually review their parishes' abilities to survive financially and otherwise, was proposed by former Philadelphia archbishop, Cardinal Justin Rigali, in 2010 and initiated in late 2011 by Chaput.

"It is hoped that the end result will be the strongest possible parishes that are posed for stability, growth and service to God's people now and far into the future not only in Delaware County, but also throughout the archdiocese," said Gavin.

While members of all 267 archdiocesan parishes in the five-county area were informed of the initiative in 2010, members of the first Delaware County churches to be reviewed learned that the process had begun for their parishes in letters from their pastors on Sept. 29 and 30. They are in southern Delaware County and are part of what is designated Pastoral Planning Area 370 that includes Holy Saviour in Lower Chichester, Immaculate Conception in Marcus Hook, St. John Fisher in Upper Chichester, Our Lady of Charity in Brookhaven and St. Joseph and St. Francis de Sales parishes, both in Aston.

St. Katharine Drexel parish, already the result of six Chester parishes that merged in 1993, is also a part of planning area 370 but will remain open. It is the only Roman Catholic parish in the impoverished city. The parish is a co-sponsor with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, Neumann University in Aston and the archdiocese, of an independent school called Drexel Neumann Academy at the site of the former archdiocesan parish school.

"Folks at St. Katharine Drexel in Chester, due to their unique mission, they will remain as a free-standing parish," said Gavin.

On Oct. 6 and 7, members of northern Delaware County churches in communities bordering Philadelphia learned the review process was about to begin in their parishes. Included in Pastoral Planning Area 320 are Blessed Virgin Mary in Darby, St. Philomena in Lansdowne, St. Cyril of Alexandria in East Lansdowne, St. Louis in Yeadon and St. Alice and St. Laurence parishes, both in Upper Darby.

"It's a self-study of activities, resources and condition of facilities to form a plan for sustainability, whether there should be a merger or they should stand alone. Pastors work with parishioners, the finance councils and pastoral councils, to make recommendations for future sustainability," said Gavin who noted pastors are advised to keep parishioners informed as they reach milestones in the process.

Pastors of parishes in each of the 44 designated geographical planning areas are also expected to meet with one another before bringing their recommendations to the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee that includes experts in education, finance, real estate and communications.

"The final decision rests with the archbishop," said Gavin.

He explained that when parishes merge into one location under one pastor, finances and debts are also merged. The church at the old location could possibly still be used as a place of worship.

Delaware County currently has 46 Roman Catholic parishes. A 47th parish, Our Mother of Good Counsel in Lower Merion, is actually in Montgomery County, but is designated by archdiocesan officials as part of the Delaware County vicariate. St. Cornelius parish in Chadds Ford is actually in western Delaware County, but is regarded by archdiocesan officials as part of the Chester County vicariate.

--- In the last 40 years, 25 Delaware County parish grade schools have closed or merged because of declining enrollment and increasing debt which archdiocesan officials have blamed, in part, on population migration westward to Chester County and part of Montgomery County. In September, 10 Delaware County parish grade schools merged to form five regional Catholic elementary schools as a result of sustainability recommendations from an archdiocesan Blue Ribbon Panel.

Ten Philadelphia and Chester County parishes were affected by the first installment of the Parish Area Pastoral Planning Initiative that began late last year, reducing the number of archdiocesan parishes to 257. Most mergers involved two parishes, but three parishes were merged into one both in the Manayunk and Germantown areas of Philadelphia. Ascension of Our Lord Church in the Harrowgate section of Philadelphia was in such disrepair, it could no longer even be used as a place of worship without at least $3 million worth of work, noted Gavin. Ascension's assets, debts, buildings and sacramental records have been divided between two other parishes.